Finally, a Bluetooth speaker that sounds great and is built to last

ZDNET’s key takeaways

The Bose SoundLink Max retails for $399 within the colours Black and Blue Nightfall
This unassuming Bluetooth speaker delivers the high-quality sound that Bose is understood for, with the battery life to maintain the social gathering going all evening.
The common worth is likely to be a turn-off, given you will get completely succesful audio system for much less.

extra shopping for decisions

Bose’s SoundLink Max moveable speaker is on sale for $299 at Amazon. This deal solely applies to the Black coloration possibility.

A long time in the past, after I was working for an audio set up firm, we used to have a saying: “No highs, no lows; it should be Bose.” Remember that we have been coping with audio system that price tens of hundreds of {dollars}, so the thought of something consumer-grade was laughable.

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Quick-forward to right this moment, and Bose nonetheless makes audio system, headphones, and earbuds able to producing wealthy, elegant sound with extensive soundstages, punchy bass, and crisp highs. Such is the case with the Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker.

When listening to the SoundLink Max, I am very a lot reminded of the unique SoundLink, an awesome speaker from a few decade in the past that I all the time felt was probably the greatest I would ever used. This new iteration is even higher, as it will possibly push the quantity to new heights with out the slightest little bit of distortion.

Though the sound may not fulfill the ears of a discerning audiophile, its huge bass and highly effective quantity are actually a crowd-pleaser. Let’s get into it.

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The very first thing I observed about this speaker was the everyday Bose processing, which makes the sound appear a bit ethereal. This pairs very nicely with audio from standard genres that sometimes do not demand an excessive amount of from the {hardware}, and is because of how Bose processes midrange sounds for a stereo impact. Sadly, it will possibly translate into imprecise midrange sounds which can be barely off-color. I’ve skilled that with virtually each Bose speaker I’ve bought or examined.

It isn’t a foul factor; it is only a Bose factor.

I additionally could not assist however discover this speaker’s lack of options. It permits two units to attach concurrently, has a three-band EQ (accessible from the minimal cellular app — Android/iOS), and features a play/pause button. That is it.

This is the factor: a top quality moveable speaker does not want a deluge of options. I would like the gadget to sound nice, have loads of battery life, and be easy to make use of. The Bose SoundLink Max simply checks all of these packing containers.

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After I began testing this speaker, I modified up my traditional testing technique. Being acquainted with the Bose sound, I made a decision to throw two totally different albums at it to see the way it fared. The primary was “Huge Generator” by Sure. This album was recorded and mastered at a time that completely suited the Bose sound, and it sounded higher than I anticipated. The mids have been ultimate for Jon Anderson’s refrain, the guitars have been completely crunchy, and the soundstage was surprisingly extensive.

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Subsequent, I opted for a style that is not fairly suited to the Bose sound: classical. I used to be stunned by how George Frideric Handel’s “Wassermusik” sounded. It was wealthy, full of life, and in no way misplaced. After all, no social gathering is full with no Baroque masterpiece.

So far as the bass is worried, the SoundLink Max does an awesome job to round 65Hz. Beneath that, the bass rolls off a bit, so you are not going to really feel the kick drum as you would possibly with a much bigger speaker. Given the dimensions of this gadget, nevertheless, it holds its personal on the low finish.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

When you’re a fan of the Bose sound and need a moveable speaker that may fill a room (after which some), the $399 SoundLink Max is the plain selection. When you’re iffy concerning the Bose sound or choose extra EQ choices than three bands, then it is best to take a look at the Anker Soundcore Motion X500, which can also be on sale for $80.

In the end, followers of the Bose sound will get pleasure from this speaker, and provided that it is constructed like a tank, you will not have to fret about it at a crowded social gathering.